Jeanne Burris Johnson

Cottreville MI

Boot and Rally

Painting

Artist Statement

I paint what I find intriguing, and what I find intriguing are the ordinary unvarnished moments that people have. A fusion of Photorealism and Pop Art, my art joins the objectivity of the photograph with the visual jolt that a reduced color palette provides. The process begins with a photograph that catches my eye. It's not unusual for me to take hundreds of photos to find only one or two images I want to paint. Mostly I'm drawn to photos where the subject appears to be unaware of my camera and focused on something else. Kids playing games, friends making music or a spider spinning a web. Once a photograph has been chosen, I edit the image down to what I find to be the most interesting or relevant components of the composition. With some photos I take the information down to the most minimal level. Others I feel it's important to document greater detail. This is an area that is completely about instinct for me. Color selection is next in planning and keeping a limited palette tends to convey more drama and interest to the subject. I choose colors that help tell the story of the moment or emphasize it. Having completed all the steps above, painting begins soon after with acrylics being the medium of choice.